Finland triples its support to the UN equality organization

UN Women was created by merging four distinct UN equality actors. The most important of these was the United Nations Development Fund for Women, or UNIFEM, which Finland has long supported. Last year Finland’s support amounted to one million euros. In addition, Finland has separately granted support for UNIFEM’s activities to prevent violence against women and for the new organization’s activities during the transition period.

The aim of UN Women’s activities is to promote gender equality in the UN Member States and to hold the UN system accountable for its own commitments on gender equality in all its activities. Focal issues are, for instance, the leadership of women, prevention of violence against women, improvement of women’s economic position and issues pertaining to peace and security.

The aim is also to increase the effectiveness of UN activities now that the formerly distinct equality actors have merged. Finland considers it important that UN Women works in close cooperation with other UN agencies and that its activities are effective and productive.

Finland’s development policy emphasizes the importance of gender equality in reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development. The decision to raise funding, made already during the previous Government, was announced in late June at the UN Women Executive Board meeting in New York, where the organization’s strategic plan guiding activities was approved. Support for the UN system and equality issues is a clear element of the new Government Programme as well.

UN Women’s headquarters are located in New York. The organization carries out activities in 80 UN Member States. Its first Executive Director is Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile.

Additional information: Counsellor Petra Paasilinna, mobile tel. +358 40 132 1873, and Head of Unit Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury, mobile tel. +358 40 721 7159